Year 6, Day 71: Jeremiah 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Approval 

• Approval: We all need to feel as though we are accepted.  When we seek the approval of God, our Up is in the right place.  But when we seek the approval of other people besides God, we open the door to pursuing false gods and risk putting someone or something other than God in our Up position. 

God calls Jeremiah to go and visit a potter.  I don't know if you have ever watched a pottery wheel in action, but I find it a hypnotic experience.  The clay goes around and around.  The potter has wet hands to shape the clay.  The clay can't be too dry or it won't mold.  But the clay can't be too wet or it will collapse and lose its form.  If you watch long enough – even with expert potters – you will see a structure collapse.  This is what Jeremiah sees happen.  God tells Jeremiah that the people are just like this clay. 

God wants the people to be molded in an image of His own making.  He has given them every opportunity to succeed.  But they don't want it.  They don't want to be made in His image.  They want to be made in their own image.  They want to do what they want with their life. 

As evidence of this, they reject Jeremiah's message.  Even worse, they plot to destroy Jeremiah!  They want to silence his message.  Here is what Jeremiah gets for following God.  The people put their own approval ahead of God's approval.  The people want what they want for themselves rather than what God wants for them. 

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